In the treatment of diseases, injuries or malformations affecting spinal motion segments, and especially those affecting disc tissue, it has long been known to remove some or all of a degenerated, ruptured or otherwise failing disc. In cases involving intervertebral disc tissue that has been removed or is otherwise absent from a spinal motion segment, corrective measures are taken to ensure the proper spacing of the vertebrae formerly separated by the removed disc tissue.
Such corrective measures may include spinal fusion or insertion of a disc prosthesis into the disc space. Such surgical techniques require access to the surgical site through tissue. Invasive techniques may cause tissue necrosis and creep. Accordingly, devices and methods for reducing invasiveness associated with accessing a spinal surgical site are desired.